Student inquiry
What is inquiry learning?
Inquiry Learning is an active, student-centered pedagogy that enables children to experience the process of knowledge creation.
Students drive learning
An inquiry based approach is driven by students' curiosity about the world around them. It encourages connection, co-operation, and collaboration by allowing students to pose and solve problems together and with their communities in shared, authentic learning experiences.
A model of the inquiry process
The meaning of "knowing" has shifted from being able to remember and repeat information to being able to find and use it.
National Research Council, 2007
A teacher's role and approach to inquiry learning
Kath Murdoch shares her thoughts on the strategies used by teachers in inquiry-based classrooms. Questioning and scaffolding learning is key in an inquiry approach. She emphasises the importance of teachers knowing where they want to take students within the curriculum but bringing the students interests into the inquiry.
Hillcrest School teacher, Miel MacLean and students share how learning experiences, in a student-led inquiry into Māori kites, were enriched through using technologies and publishing via a collaborative wiki.
Key resource
LEARNZ
LEARNZ virtual field trips are free, supported inquiry based e-learning experiences that take students and teachers to places throughout New Zealand and beyond, where they link with experts to investigate and explore their world.
These snapshots of learning outline how technologies are used to support student inquiry.
Filter by: Lower primary Primary Upper primary
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School stories demonstrate teachers using technologies to provide personalised, authentic learning experiences relating to student inquiry.
Impact project
Miranda Makin, DP Albany Senior High School, describes how technologies have enabled students engaged in the Impact Project to take their learning beyond the school and engage with experts to find information and share their learning.
Passion projects
At St Hilda's Collegiate, every Year 9 student is mentored with someone from the local community and they work throughout the year on their Passion project
The Portal Unity Project
Year 13 student Daniel Cowpertwait describes a "mod" he has developed for an online game Portal.
Kids Rewired – a student conference
Teacher Shelley Blakey and e-learning facilitator Sandy Bornholdt describe the inquiry process they went through with the students to develop this successful conference run by students for students.
Using digital stories to improve student literacy
School teacher Natasha Jacobs and students from her Year 5/6 class explain how they create a storywheel that is then digitised and supported with audio narration.
Student led inquiry supported by e-learning tools
A student-led inquiry into Māori kites at Hillcrest School.
Beginning to use ICTs to enhance learning
Teacher Liz Dench and a student, from Hillcrest High School, discuss accessing how using technologies expands learning.
Students inquire into innovative learning environments
Team leader, Caroline Marris and year 7-8 students explain how they worked together to design their innovative learning environment.
The game design process
Teacher, Chris Johnston outlines the NoTosh model design thinking model he used with his students during their game design inquiry. The inquiry enabled a cross-curricular learning approach including maths, English, and technology.
Design production education area of Rāroa Normal Intermediate School
Stephen Eames explains how the physical learning spaces contribute to success at Rāroa Normal Intermediate School.
Professional development at Rāroa Normal Intermediate School
Stephen Eames shares how teachers are supported to collaborate at Rāroa Normal Intermediate School.
Building relationships to motivate students
Dave Gillies shares approaches used at Rāroa Intermediate Normal School to get to know their learners.
Designing learning built on student interests
Dave Gillies shares how teachers connected student interest in skateboarding to the curriculum.
Design production teaching: Collaborating with classroom teachers to integrate learning
Chris Bailey explains how working alongside other teachers and students creates opportunities for integrated learning.
The design production learning space at Rāroa Normal Intermediate School
Chris Bailey shares how a dedicated learning space for design production helps students to collaborate on a variety of activities.
Using technology in authentic contexts to engage at-risk learners
Chris Bailey and Dave Gillies share how they build rapport with students and make learning enjoyable for them.
Connecting with parents and whānau using real-time reporting
Caroline Moore, parent, shares how real-time reporting deepens the connections between home, school, and learner.
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Key resource
Inquiry based learning
In this EDtalk Jan-Marie Kellow talks about how inquiry based learning provides an excellent context for developing students’ thinking skills.
Student inquiry and curriculum integration (Part A)
the first of two articles about student inquiry and curriculum integration. The aim is to help educators consider the ideas about learning that underpin different integrated and inquiry approaches and their fit with ideas in The New Zealand Curriculum.
What is Inquiry?
Information, research results, and resources about inquiry learning compiled by Jan-Marie Kellow during her time as a Ministry of Education e-learning fellow and updated from her ongoing work.
